Hold Out Your Hand
by supermahler2012
Summary: Phineas and Isabella create a scheme in which they sneak out at night to see each other; they are in a relationship when they do this. Does the scheme work in the end? Will memories be formed, and love found?
1. Prologue The Mastermind Plan

I have not done a Fanfic in a long time…the last time I did one was for Salinger's _Catcher in the Rye_, and that was three months ago.

But now, I have taken upon a new sort of challenge: Putting myself in the eyes of the characters of the world of Phineas and Ferb. More specifically, I will write a story of the relationship between Phineas and Isabella.

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Please, please review this chapter before the next one is uploaded; I would greatly appreciate it! Enjoy!

**Prologue; The Mastermind Plan**

The sky was starry and brilliant.

The rope ladders and the wardrobes were invisible, and the transparent windows were open slightly.

Isabella and Phineas wanted to see each other more often, and so they decided to sneak out at night when they were sure that their parents were not awake. They decided to sneak to each other's _houses_, more specifically, and to alternate who visited whom each day.

Tonight was the third night, and Phineas visited Isabella. Phineas would wear pajamas, and Isabella her white nightgown when they visited each other.

Accessing each other's rooms was an aspect of the scheme that Phineas addressed brilliantly. A week ago, recalling some properties of light and matter, he created some invisible paint with Ferb that they tested on the dining room table one day while Candace was left in charge of them. She believed that the table was actually missing and being used for one of the boys' inventions, but the boys washed the table secretly before their parents arrived, and the table had reappeared intact, much to Candace's amazement.

Phineas made some simple rope ladders in secret, covered the sides and rungs in invisible paint, and left them hanging from their bedroom windows. Each time either Phineas or Isabella arrived or left, the other would pull up the ladder and close the window, and put out the ladder again the next night.

Phineas had also recently built some six-foot-tall wooden wardrobes with the Fireside Girls a few days before that in helping them earn their Carpentry badges. Two wardrobes were used in the scheme, one in Isabella's room and one in that of Phineas. Both were covered in invisible paint and stashed away in a corner of the room. If one of them had to hide if a parent came in the room, the wardrobes would serve as a hiding spot until the parent left.

It was a perfect plan, the plan of a mastermind.


	2. The Third Night

I know I said that I wouldn't post the next chapter until I had a review, but I'm a little too excited to wait. I just decided to post this next chapter and hope that more people will like this story and follow it...

On a side-note, this chapter is supposed to be about a third night; the first two nights are skipped over and briefly mentioned in this chapter.

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Third Night**

Phineas, in his orange pajamas, ascended Isabella's ladder. Isabella stayed awake, vigilant, as she would do on the nights in which Phineas would visit her. She helped him into her room by offering her hand. Once Phineas was safe inside, Isabella pulled up the ladder and closed the window. They then kissed quietly yet passionately; they had missed each other for the past eight hours. Isabella stopped the kiss and rested her face in Phineas' chest. His heartbeat was the only sound in her world now; all other perceivable stimuli were ignored by her for a few moments. They held on to each other for several more moments; this connection felt magical, secure, safe. Good.

"Hey, Izzy," Phineas said, smiling.

"Hey, Phineas," Isabella responded, also smiling. Their smiles were bright in the face of a dark night in a blackened room. They could not turn on the lights, or someone would notice that Isabella was awake. She walked to her bed, and motioned to Phineas to come to her, and to sit on the bed with her. They sat very close to each other. Phineas had his right arm around Isabella, and she rested her head in Phineas' chest. His heartbeat was calming, steady.

"Thanks for coming tonight," Isabella started with a calm expression and whisper.

"My greatest pleasure," Phineas responded. He stroked her hair slowly.

"Hey, Phineas…"

"Yes, Izzy?"

"Do you know what we should do tonight?"

"Um…tell stories?"

She giggled softly. "No, nothing like that."

"I have no idea, then; what should we do?"

"Well, I know two successful nights isn't much to prove that our sneaking scheme will work in the future, but I think that we could get away with more, and still make this work."

"What do you want to do?"

"Well…" She reached out for a stuffed rabbit that she owned. "Hold out your hand."

Phineas held out his left hand, and Isabella placed the rabbit in his hand. He felt it to get a feel for what it was, considering the darkness. "It's a stuffed rabbit," Isabella explained. "Every night since I was little, I would hug this rabbit to death. I still do, I love it so much. Nowadays, I think of you as I hold on to it. And now I just wish that…that…"

"That…?"

"That we could sleep together."


	3. The Third Night, continued

There is a curiosity brewing for this story! Thank you to those who have messaged me and reviewed my story! I'm excited to be doing my first multi-chapter story here on FanFiction...so here is the next chapter!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Third Night, continued**

Phineas could tell that Isabella was getting nervous as she explained her desire, and he understood completely. The truth was that Phineas had longed to sleep with Isabella, and this conversation was the opportune time in which to make these feelings known. He had visualized revealing his feelings on several occasions, but even in visualization, he would get nervous and experience a slight increase in heart rate.

"Of course we could. That…would be…perfect." Phineas' voice became dreamlike, and it seemed that he was talking to himself calmly.

"I'd love to sleep with you, to see you asleep, to be able to wake up later on with my best friend at my side…I'd hold you as you sleep…I would feel you when I know you're asleep. I would watch over you and know that you're safe…I'd wake you immediately if you had a nightmare…I'd smile to you and kiss you in the morning, if we could ever wake up in the morning together…I wish that we could be together like that, and I'm relieved that you think the same about this…"

Isabella was blushing, and Phineas could feel it. "Oh, Phineas…"

_This is actually happening,_ Isabella thought, _Phineas loves me so much and wants to be with me. He…he…_She was highly overcome with happiness that she had to express quietly, and so she embraced Phineas tightly. He embraced her, but not with the same tightness. He wanted to stroke her hair and kiss her head.

"I love you, Isabella, a lot."

"I love you too, Phineas."

They remained in their clothes, and proceeded to quietly lift the covers and make themselves comfortable next to each other. The pillows were at the side of the bed closest to the invisible wardrobe, and Phineas was closest to the open space of the room. They were comfortable, and Phineas was ready to hide if he needed to. They were set up for a lovely night of intimate company, arms over one another, facing each other. The night ahead auspiciously promised to be peaceful…


	4. Sleeping on that Third Night

Again, I'd like to thank reviewers of this story and followers of this story for reading this story; it's wonderful to know that this story is successful...and with that, I present the next chapter!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**Sleeping on that Third Night**

Isabella had fallen asleep long before Phineas did.

Actually, he didn't want to sleep. And he didn't for about an hour.

He wanted to stay awake to admire Isabella, her beauty and serenity, her innocence. She was his world, and he had the world in his arm…She was warm, and this was a comfort to Phineas…stroking her hair was relaxing, and it was in this time that Phineas began to recall, in his head, several major things that he had done with and/or for her. He thought of the trip around the world, in Paris, when he was oblivious to Isabella's liking for him. She had wanted to spend time with him there, but he had to find oil for the airplane…he was preoccupied when they got stuck on the island before returning home that day, but Isabella had reassured him that he could find a way to solve any problem that he faced.

It was upon thinking about these events that Phineas felt idiotic for never seeing Isabella's actions in the past as suggestions that she liked him and that she wanted to be with him. He was always thinking about ingenuity, building, problem solving, about others. He certainly cared for her well-being, though, then and now. Even more now than ever, actually. He continued to stroke Isabella's hair, and with each thought of her in the past, he stroked her hair in such a way that he nonverbally expressed his feelings for her with a sort of apologetic feel…he brought himself closer to Isabella without disturbing her…

_This is my best friend_, _and I won't hurt her, or let anyone hurt her. I love her, and I want to be her greatest friend._

He continued to look at her. She was smiling, as if though at peace. But then something caught his attention. Isabella had begun moving around a bit, then began tossing and turning. Phineas inched away from her just to be safe for those few moments, and Isabella clenched her eyelids tightly.

_She must be having a bad dream…_

Phineas became alert and pressed his hands into her arms in making an effort to limit her movement.

"Isabella?" he whispered. "Isabella?" He pressed his hands into her arms again, but this time shook her, but not too much. She still would not wake up, and so he resorted to lightly slapping her cheek.

And she awoke.


	5. The Nightmare on that Third Night

I'll be uploading two chapters tonight, this one being the first. I'm getting some positive feedback on this story, and I want to thank you guys so much for reading and liking this story! Well, here's the first of two chapters I'll be uploading tonight!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Nightmare on that Third Night**

"Huh….wha-Phineas!" Isabella seemed surprised, but she was relieved to see Phineas. She had an expression of concern on her face, one as if a mother had saved her child from falling off a cliff and was glad to see him safe and on solid ground. She embraced Phineas tightly, and he embraced her tightly as well.

"Are you OK, Isabella?" he asked with concern.

"Now I am. Thanks for waking me up."

"No problem."

A moment of silence followed. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yes…"

"What happened?"

"I'd rather not say, but I'm glad you're here with me. You're safe, and I love you." She held on to him, tightening her embrace. She was truly glad that Phineas was there, safe and keeping her safe.

"I love you too, Izzy. Come on, let's go back to sleep."

_I'm safe?_ Phineas began to wonder what the dream could have possibly been about…


	6. The Morning After that Third Night

Here is the second chapter that I promised for you tonight. I hope you like it!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Morning that Came After that Third Night**

Phineas slept relatively well that night after wondering about the dream for a few minutes before falling asleep. He awoke at 6:30 in the morning, and his sleep felt as if only five minutes had elapsed. He woke up Isabella; he had to leave to go back to his house before Ferb or their parents woke up, but he wanted to say goodbye to her.

"Good morning, Izzy." The sun was rising; it was beautiful and good.

"Good morning, Phineas." She was smiling. They kissed and embraced each other.

"I need to go back home now. I'll see you at school in a bit, OK?"

"Aw….okay," she responded with a slight tone of disappointment, yet with a half-smile. She opened the window and put down the ladder. "Can you come watch the sunrise with me for a few minutes, though, before you leave?"

"Of course I will. I've always wanted to see a sunrise with you…"

They sat on the windowpane with the window open. There was a very slight breeze at the time, and the sun was still rising. About half of the sun was visible over the nearby skyline and somewhat distant green hills. Being there together was amazing, and watching that majestic sunrise was the rarest yet most common pleasure that they could ever enjoy in their lifetime. After ten minutes of silence and holding on to each other, Phineas pointed downwards and bade Isabella a good day. She wished him a good day in return, they kissed, and he descended the ladder and quietly made his way over to his house.

The neighborhood was quiet.


	7. The Fourth Night, and the Plan

Here is the next chapter! You might notice that for each night, there is a sort of formula as to how Phineas and Isabella spend time with each other. So pardon the math here; it's just Phineas being helpful towards Isabella, considering the helpful, brilliant, and caring person he is...

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Fourth Night, and the Plan for the Fireside Girls**

It was Isabella's turn to sneak out. After her mother had said goodnight to her, Isabella quietly descended her ladder and went over to Phineas' house. Phineas was waiting for her, and once he knew that Ferb was asleep, he opened the window and put down the ladder. Isabella ascended, and Phineas helped her inside. They held hands as they walked over to his bed.

They went under the covers, but they didn't lie down right away. Instead, they sat underneath the covers, much like what children would do. They sat at each other's sides and kissed. Phineas began to stroke her hair…he loved doing that…

"You have beautiful hair, Izzy," Phineas started with a smile.

"Aw, thank you," she responded with a smile and slight blush.

"So…how was school?" Phineas asked.

"It was a great day, actually…Gretchen and I brainstormed some ideas in which we could earn more Fireside Girls badges…right now, we think that an Environmental Care badge is in our reach!"

"That's great! How do you get the badge, though?"

"It's actually quite simple: We pick up trash throughout Danville, and plant vegetable and tree seeds throughout the city. But we need to divide the work evenly amongst everyone in our troop, all seven of us."

"Can I help somehow?"

"Sure! If you could obtain a map of Danville-" Phineas produced a flashlight and a map of Danville from the other side of the bed and showed it to Isabella once he turned on the light.

"You have a map of Danville?"

"Yep! I keep it with me whenever I have some great plans for inventions and need to consider the city's layout while figuring out designs."

"That's neat! Does the map tell you the square mileage of the city?"

"Nope! But there's a scale here at the top, and the shape of the town resembles a trapezoid…I'll go ahead and calculate the area. Now where's that ruler?" He extended his arm from the covers and felt for a ruler, grabbed it, and began measuring the sides of the trapezoidal shape.

_A ruler, too?_ Isabella thought. _That's a little odd, but if that's how Phineas keeps on top of his ideas, then I'm not complaining…He's really smart...and he looks so cute when he focuses on that map, on anything…on me…_

Phineas had been working for about a minute when Isabella rested her head on Phineas' shoulder. Phineas no longer needed the ruler, so he put it on the side of the bed where he found it and put his now-free arm around Isabella's waist. She looked down at the map; Phineas finished measuring the bases and height of the trapezoid and came up with the estimated square mileage of the city.

"Thirty-eight-point-seven square miles," Phineas announced. "Divided by seven, that means that each of you will clean and plant in five-point-fifty-three square miles. That's a lot of work!"

"I know…but there's no rush."

"Can I build something to help you guys? Or help you myself?"

"Unfortunately, we can't use technology on this assignment. But we can ask friends to help us, and I'd be glad if you could come along and help!"

"Sounds like a great idea!"

"Great! How does Saturday sound?"

"Sounds great! I'll be up early and ready to help."

"That's great! I'll let Gretchen and the other Fireside Girls know tomorrow."

"Can I come along, too?" asked a voice that didn't belong to either Phineas or Isabella.


	8. Ferb

This story gets more and more interesting, doesn't it? I hope it is; thank you guys so much for reading and liking this story!

So, if you think that the scheme has failed...read on!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**Ferb**

"Ferb?" Phineas responded. Ferb, dressed in his light blue pajamas and a nightcap, lifted the covers and saw Phineas and Isabella together with a flashlight and a map of Danville.

"Um…I hope so," he said.

"Well, of course you can come along!" Isabella said. "In fact, I think Gretchen could use your help with her section of the city." She winked at him. Ferb blinked his eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind. So, what are you two doing here at night in bed?"

"It's a long story," Phineas answered. "Don't tell Mom about this. Please!"

"No worries, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, Ferb!" Isabella exclaimed softly with appreciation.

"So, how did you put this together?" Phineas invited him to take a seat on the bed. He began to explain how he wanted to see Isabella more often, and vice versa, and so he took some invisible paint, made some rope ladders, and used some of the wardrobes made with the Fireside Girls in order to create a scheme in which they could sneak out at night to see each other and hide if necessary.

"Very clever, brother," Ferb said. "Very clever, indeed."

"Thank you. Say, how did you know that we were here and awake, anyway?"

"I was sleeping, but then I heard a sort of noise, like something moving inside a blanket, and I saw a bright light after opening my eyelids for a second. I thought you'd be working on something, but I heard Isabella from under there as well."

"I suppose one can never be the quietest person on Earth, huh, Ferb?" Isabella commented. Ferb stood there. He blinked. "I stand corrected."

"Well, enjoy yourselves, but not too much," Ferb finally said. He winked.

"Um…ok, we'll keep that in mind," Phineas said. "And again, please keep this a secret."

"Again, you have my word; your secret is safe with me," Ferb responded reassuringly.

"Thank you, Ferb. I owe you one."

"That's not necessary," Ferb said. "However…could I have a piece of candy?"

"Huh?" Isabella was now curious as to what Ferb could have been talking about. Candy, obviously...right?

"Sure thing!" Phineas said. He got out of bed, went over to a dresser, dug through a pile of socks, and unearthed a small box of candy. He gave a small jawbreaker to Ferb, and he also took out a small candy cane. Ferb went to his bed, and Phineas returned to his. He opened the candy cane when he sat underneath the covers again.

"What's with the candy cane?" Isabella asked with a curious giggle.

"It's sweet and colorful, just like you," he answered. Isabella began to blush. "And I know it's not Christmas, but I think of giving. And you are the greatest gift that I could ever be given."

"Oh, Phineas…"

Phineas placed the curved end of the candy cane into Isabella's mouth, and he placed the other end into his mouth. They smiled and began to suck on the cane. Their lips met, and they kissed with closed eyes. They slowly moved their teeth to break the cane, and these motions could be felt as they continued to kiss.

Ferb could see a faint shadow, a silhouette of their activity, through the covers. He rolled his eyes and went to bed. He would save his jawbreaker for another time.


	9. Sleeping on that Fourth Night

I know this sounds repetitious, but I want to thank you guys again for following this story and liking it so much. Today, I've decided to upload another two (short) chapters for the story, so here's the first of them!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**Sleeping on that Fourth Night**

Phineas had moved his materials and turned off the flashlight by the time he slept with Isabella. They had both finished their ends of the candy cane. Isabella's hands rested on Phineas' chest, and he wrapped his left arm underneath Isabella, his right arm over her. Her nightgown was soft, and he slowly moved his right arm up and down her upper back. He truly felt relaxed with her next to him…

But then it happened, again. Isabella had begun to twitch and move like she did last night. Luckily, Phineas was quicker to recognizing what was happening, so he lightly slapped Isabella's cheek. That didn't work, however, so he slapped her again. Still nothing, but Isabella had even begun to whimper with a sort of fright. He shook her, and she awoke.

"Huh…wha-Phineas!"

_Déjà vu…_

Isabella embraced Phineas tightly like last night, and he reciprocated.

"Are you OK, Izzy?"

"I am now. Thank you for waking me up."

"No problem."

A moment of silence endured. "Did you have a bad dream? Maybe the same one as last night?"

"Not the same, but I don't really wish to talk about it. But you're here, and you're safe, and I love you."

"I love you, too, Izzy. Now let's get some sleep."

_I'm safe? This happened last night, and tonight? Something's not right. I wish I could help her; I don't want to see her being tortured by her nightmares…I love her, and I want to help her…_


	10. The Morning After that Fourth Night

And here is the second chapter that I'm uploading today!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Morning that Came After that Fourth Night**

It was six thirty, and Phineas had just woken up. He had to wake up Isabella so she could return home. But he decided to watch her for about five minutes instead. She seemed to be at peace, she was calm. The time came for her to wake up, so Phineas lightly kissed her on the forehead, and she woke up.

"Good morning, Isabella."

"Good morning, Phineas."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yep! You?"

"Same."

"That's good." She smiled.

"Ready to go back home?"

"Yes, I am." She got out of bed and stood next to Phineas, who had just opened the window and put out the ladder. Isabella was about to descend the ladder, but she stopped for a moment. She sat on the windowpane and turned back to Phineas. She seemed…concerned…but she smiled, glad to see him, and happy to know that she would see him later on. "Bye, Phineas. I love you."

"I love you, too, Isabella."


	11. The Fifth Night

It's a rainy Monday morning here in America...and a new day to add to this story! This chapter starts the fifth night of the scheme, and it is the last night that I am writing about. This isn't the last chapter, though, so don't worry about it ending really soon! It will end soon, though...and this chapter is the most sensual, in my opinion, but still relatively appropriate...

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Fifth Night**

Phineas made his way to Isabella's house on that fifth night. Isabella opened the window and put out the ladder for him. He ascended and was helped in. Isabella closed the window and brought in the ladder.

She looked different tonight; she had pajama pants and a top this time instead of her usual nightgown. They got into bed together under the covers.

"Hey, Phineas," Isabella started.

"Hey, Izzy." They both smiled, then they kissed.

"Hey, Phineas, mind if I show you something?" Isabella asked.

"I don't mind at all. Go ahead."

"OK," she responded. What Phineas didn't know, however, was that Isabella meant to show him something fairly intimate…she slowly removed her top to reveal a plain strapless blue-green brassiere on top of her clear, fairly pale skin. Phineas' eyes grew larger for a second as he took in what he saw…well, what he could see in the dark and some moonlight, anyway.

"Surprised a bit, huh, Phineas?" she jokingly and teasingly inquired.

"Um…yeah…no worries, though. You're still modest in appearance compared to most others…but I have to admit, you are beautiful, on the outside and inside…"

"Aw, thank you, Phineas," she sweetly responded. "Say, could you do me a small favor and massage my shoulders? I had to carry large objects for three hours today with the Fireside Girls to get our Heavy Object-Lifting badges, and I'm sore as can be."

"Man, that sounds tough…OK, just turn a bit to your left, and I'll start."

"Thank you," she responded. She turned slightly to her left, and Phineas placed his hands on Isabella's bare shoulders. Her body was slightly cold, but her skin was smooth. Phineas slowly circled his thumbs at the bottom of Isabella's shoulder blades as his palms and other fingers pressed and released her shoulders. He did this for about three minutes, and the motion of massaging became natural within that time.

"Oh my goodness, that was relaxing. Thank you, Phineas."

"No problem, Izzy," said Phineas.

_He has a firm grip, and a gentle hold…he certainly knows how to treat me well…I don't think anyone will ever treat me in the way that Phineas does…he's one of a kind…_

They sat next to each other after that during a time of quiet. Isabella put her head on Phineas' shoulder, and Phineas stroked Isabella's hair. They never had to talk, their actions more than sufficed.


	12. Starting to Sleep on that Fifth Night

Short chapter here; you'll notice soon that this is the longest night in the story...

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**Starting to Sleep on that Fifth Night**

That time of quiet lasted about two minutes. After that time, they settled underneath the covers and began to sleep. Isabella didn't touch Phineas, but he put his hand on her bare waist and left it there. His hand was warm, just like the rest of his body.

_I wonder why she revealed herself this way…maybe she's trying to say something? Maybe she trusts me a lot? I wish I knew…_

Phineas, for the first time, was the first one to fall asleep. Isabella observed him sleeping.

_He looks like an angel when he sleeps…like nothing could ever happen to him…oh, Phineas…_

Isabella removed Phineas' hand from her waist, but she placed it between her two hands and rubbed it slightly. Her hands were cold, but Phineas was asleep and could not mind that. After two minutes of holding his hand, Isabella slowly moved Phineas' arm closer to his person and began to drift into sleep...


	13. The Nightmare on that Fifth Night

So, on to the next chapter! I think I ended this chapter in the right place...(smiling devil emoticon here)

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

**The Nightmare that Came on that Fifth Night**

Again, like the past two nights, Phineas noticed that Isabella was moving around and clenching her eyelids together, and again he tried to wake her up with shaking and a light slap on the cheek.

But this time, something really got his attention.

Isabella extended her right arm slightly, and began repeating softly, then louder, "No…no…no! Phineas!"

Phineas' eyes grow at the sound of this. He was slightly frightened and greatly concerned, and tried desperately to wake up Isabella, but he heard footsteps and had to hide in the invisible wardrobe. The bedroom door opened.

"Isabella?" Mrs. Shapiro asked. She turned on the light and came over to Isabella's bed. She shook Isabella with a bit more roughness than Phineas and slapped her on the cheek a bit harder, too.

"Huh…wha-Phin!-_Mom?_"

"Phin-_are you OK?_"

"I'm fine, just a bad dream."

"Oh…are you sure you'll be fine?"

"Yes, Mom."

"OK, then. Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Isabella." With those words, Mrs. Shapiro turned off the bedroom light and closed the door. Phineas stepped out of the wardrobe when he was sure that the coast was clear. He didn't seem happy; rather, a curious blend of anger and concern.

"OK, that's it. Izzy, I love you, and I can't stand to see you be tortured by your nightmares. And two of these dreams, I think, involved me. Can you _please_ tell me what's going on?"

Isabella sighs. Her expression conveys a solemn resignation. "You're right, and you deserve to know, so here goes…"


	14. The Nightmares Revealed

This is the end of the last night, and the penultimate chapter of the story; I hope you enjoy it!

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. **

**I also don't own ****_Titanic_****; I don't even mention the name "****_Titanic_****" in the story, even if that's what you're thinking when you read about Isabella's first dream...maybe it's another ship...in another time...in a parallel universe...but it is not meant to be a parody of ****_Titanic_****; I don't even mention "****_Titanic_****! "Did I mention that I didn't even mention "****_Titanic_****?"**

Enjoy!

**The Nightmares Revealed**

"Two nights ago, when we first slept together, I felt loved and at peace. But then I had this nightmare in which we were on a cruise ship that appeared to be romantic at first, but then it strikes an iceberg. There's not enough lifeboats, and the crew directing the lifeboat boarding say that women and children are to leave the ship first. I'm forced onto a boat, but you jump off the ship and meet me down in the water. Some passengers in the water try grabbing the lifeboat, but end up tearing it up and capsizing it. We grab onto a piece of wood and hold on for our dear lives. But after what appeared to be an hour, you couldn't hold on any longer, and you said that I should look after myself. I couldn't stand the thought of living without you, but you were adamant. And with that, you lost strength and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Seeing you sink was just heart-breaking…

"Last night, we were in the woods, and we're having a swell time. But then this eight-foot-tall grizzly bear sees us and growls. We both look frightened, but I scream, and you get in front of me to defend me. You get closer to the bear and try to fight it, but it pushes you away, and you're on the ground, unable to get up. I'm worried for you, but the bear focuses on me now. I back away, but I trip, and I'm stuck, frightened that the bear's going to maul me or eat me…"

Isabella begins to speak faster.

"And just now…oh, Phineas…we were on a cliff, just dancing, and then we walk a little too close to the edge of the cliff. You lose your footing and slip off the cliff, but you quickly grab on to the edge of it with one hand, and I grab your hand in trying to help you. But as I try to help you, my strength suddenly leaves me, and I'm too weak to help you. I end up dropping you, and you fall hundreds of feet. You vanish, and I'm upset, devastated to lose you. It was all my fault…"

A tear forms in the corner of her left eye. Phineas wipes it away, and Isabella continues talking.

"Each time I woke up from those dreams, however, I was always so relieved to see you safe and sound and right there with me. Maybe it's because I don't want to see you get hurt; I can't stand the thought of seeing you get hurt. Or maybe I'm content with the idea of putting my life at risk to save yours. I love you, Phineas, maybe too much." She appears sullen at this point.

Phineas is seriously thinking about what Isabella had told him, and after a few seconds of silence, he embraced her and began to speak.

"Isabella, there's no such thing as loving someone too much. That's what love is, caring for those that you love and expressing that love in many ways, from the small acts to the larger acts. There's no quantity when it comes to love, I think.

"But getting hurt…Isabella, I can't promise that I'll never get hurt; I have to live life as it comes, and so do all of us. I can always watch out for myself, though, and be careful about what I do in all that I do, including when I build things with Ferb. I can promise this to you; would you like that?"

A brief moment of silence ensues. "Very much," Isabella says softly.

"OK, then, I promise to be careful in all that I do, including when I build things with Ferb. For the both of us, I make this promise." They smile and embrace once more, and Phineas continues to speak.

"Now, don't worry about me, please, Isabella. I love you, and I don't want you to worry about what you can't control."

"I know that," Isabella replies, "but I just don't want to see you get hurt…man…I love you so much, Phineas."

"I love you, too, Izzy, a lot."

They embrace once more, and Phineas quickly knows how to get Isabella into good spirits again: he kisses her bare shoulder and neck, and Isabella giggles. She is certainly feeling better again...Isabella kisses Phineas on the cheek, and they sit next to each other, putting their arms around each other. A hand pats Phineas' head, and his facial expression conveys confusion and inquisition.

_If Isabella's arm is around my waist, then who-_


	15. Epilogue

So, guys...we've made it to the end.

I want to thank you guys so much for reading this story; it's my first great success here on FanFiction, and I can't thank you enough for finding this story and reading it, marking it as a favorite story and responding to it in reviews.

Oh yes...keep this in mind: I never mentioned life during the DAYTIME in this story; I always skipped over it...

**I DO NOT OWN PHINEAS AND FERB, OR ANY CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, OR RELATED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL.**

Enjoy!

* * *

**Epilogue**

Phineas wakes up, in his room, to find Ferb patting his head. It was a strange way of waking him up on a Saturday morning, but that was how he did it.

Phineas tended to sleep in on Saturdays for another hour or two. He began sleeping much earlier the day before.

"Come along, Phineas, it's time for breakfast."

"OK, Ferb, I'll be right out." Ferb leaves the bedroom.

_It was all a dream, wasn't it…a long dream, too_...There was no doubt about it, nothing to question. It certainly had been a dream. All of it.

* * *

Phineas and Ferb later went outside. Baljeet and Buford were there, ready to help the brothers build a new library meant just for youth. It was part of a community service project that the four boys had agreed to complete in an effort to promote a citywide increase in reading in youth.

Isabella didn't come by to help. She never did, actually. Not anymore. Nor did any of the Fireside Girls come by to help. Things had always been tense and awkward between Phineas and Isabella since the latter broke up with Phineas on the grounds that she was always worried sick about him and couldn't stand it anymore. She needed to rest psychologically from the relationship, and Phineas completely understood.

That was three months ago, and Phineas never received a clear sign from Isabella that they would ever speak again, so he finally resigned from worry and constant thought. He became much more productive after that, however, and began doing more projects for the benefit of the community rather than projects merely meant for the amusement of children his age or for Fireside Girls-specific functions. He lost the will to amuse and the will to help the Fireside Girls, and so decided to give back to the community with his talents and intelligence.

Although Phineas thought of Isabella with each passing day, he accepted reality and became productive in his works yet reserved and isolated, detached from others. He had to think of a way to re-invent himself, to think of love in a new way, to think of friendship in a new way. To forget _her_.

But one thought always stayed with him.

The thought of a rabbit and an echoed voice saying, "Hold out your hand…"

**THE END**


End file.
